Sumō (magazine)

Sumō (相撲) is a Japanese monthly magazine devoted to sumo, specifically professional ōzumō. It has been published by Baseball Magazine Sha (BBM) since 1952 and serves as the official journal of the Japan Sumo Association. Its predecessor was a 1949 sumo special issue of Baseball Magazine, and it took its current title in 1952. The magazine appears twelve times a year; odd-numbered months are 'basho preview' issues and even-numbered months are 'basho wrap-up' issues, named after the six annual tournaments (Hatsu, Haru, Natsu, Nagoya, Aki, Kyushu). Preview issues are released about three days after the ranking announcement, and wrap-up issues on the first Thursday after a tournament. Since July 1999, preview issues have included an actual banzuke ranking sheet. The magazine carries full win-loss tables for all wrestlers, brief biographies of sekitori, gravure and pin-ups, and long-running columns such as 'Ginkgo Is Waiting' (prospects below makushita), 'Senshuraku' (retirement tributes), 'Yakumitsuru's Second O-chan-ko Club' (four-panel manga), 'Zoom-up Quiz', 'Heya Kikigaki-chō' and 'Kiroku no Techō'. For a period after 2011 it was the only surviving sumo specialty magazine in Japan. A sister magazine, Van Van Sumōkai, ran from 1980 to 1998. The title is sold through BBM's Sportsclick online store and general bookshops.

The magazine's predecessor was a 1949 special sumo issue of Baseball Magazine, published by Baseball Magazine Sha. It continued as 'Sumō-gō' (相撲號) within Baseball Magazine special or supplemental issues before becoming an independent monthly titled Sumō in 1952. It is the official journal of the Japan Sumo Association. For decades it was one of three sumo specialty magazines in Japan, alongside NHK's NHK Ōzumō Chūkei and Yomiuri Shimbun's Ōzumō. Yomiuri's Ōzumō ceased with its September 2010 issue, and NHK's magazine folded in 2011 amid the yaochō (match-fixing) scandal, leaving Sumō as the only remaining sumo specialty magazine until NHK G-Media Ōzumō Journal launched in June 2013. The March 2011 issue dropped the 'Haru Basho preview' label and appeared simply as the March issue because of the scandal; the April 2011 issue was billed as a 'longing for the tournament' issue. Since the July 1999 issue, preview issues have included an actual banzuke ranking sheet printed with the magazine's logo. A sister magazine, Van Van Sumōkai, was published from 1980 to October 1998, initially bimonthly and later monthly, aimed at younger fans; some of its columns moved to Sumō when it folded. The magazine has carried long-running serials including 'Ginkgo Is Waiting' (formerly 'Asunaro no Uta'), 'Senshuraku' (retirement tributes, later renamed 'Sekitori Risshi-den'), 'Yakumitsuru's O-chan-ko Club' (four-panel manga), 'Zoom-up Quiz' (formerly 'Otoko no Senaka Quiz'), 'Heya Kikigaki-chō', 'Kiroku no Techō', and historical series such as 'Rekidai Yokozuna Seiden' and 'Sengo Sumō-shi'. It also publishes special issues and books, including the annual 'Ōzumō Rikishi Meikan' (sumo wrestler directory) and titles such as 'Ōzumō 100-nen no Meishōbu 100'.

• 2013

  NHK G-Media Ōzumō Journal launches in June, ending Sumō's period as the sole sumo magazine.

• 2011

  NHK's sumo magazine folds amid the yaochō scandal; Sumō becomes the only remaining sumo specialty magazine.

• 2010

  Yomiuri's Ōzumō magazine suspends publication after its September issue.

• 1999

  From the July issue, preview issues include an actual banzuke ranking sheet.

• 1998

  Van Van Sumōkai ceases publication in October.

• 1980

  Sister magazine Van Van Sumōkai launched.

• 1952

  Magazine begins publication under the title Sumō.

• 1949

  Predecessor sumo special issue of Baseball Magazine published.

The leading and, for a period, only sumo specialty magazine in Japan, positioned as the official journal of the Japan Sumo Association and a record-of-reference for fans.

• Monthly Sumō (相撲)

  Monthly sumo magazine, 12 issues per year.

• Sumō Basho Preview Issue (場所展望号)

  Odd-month issue previewing the upcoming tournament, with banzuke.

• Sumō Basho Wrap-up Issue (場所総決算号)

  Even-month issue reviewing the concluded tournament.

• Ōzumō Rikishi Meikan (大相撲力士名鑑)

  Annual sumo wrestler directory.

• Ōzumō Chūkei (大相撲中継)

  Book on sumo broadcasting.

• Ōzumō 100-nen no Meishōbu 100 (大相撲100年の名勝負100)

  Book of 100 famous sumo matches.

1. 1ベースボール・マガジン社 BBM＠BOOK CARTsportsclick.jp
2. 2相撲 (雑誌) - Wikipediaja.wikipedia.org
3. 3Sumō - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4ベースボール・マガジン社 BBM＠BOOK CARTsportsclick.jp
5. 5ベースボール・マガジン社 BBM＠BOOK CARTsportsclick.jp
6. 6ベースボール・マガジン社 BBM＠BOOK CARTsportsclick.jp